


Lonely is the Night

by Lozza342



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Bullying, Crushes, Diary/Journal, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Patronus, Self-Doubt, Slow Burn, Sneaking Out, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 10:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19461769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lozza342/pseuds/Lozza342
Summary: A new year marks more shenanigans.New meat breeds more trouble.Why was it always them four?(Teen for language)





	Lonely is the Night

**Author's Note:**

> OK I loved writing this, it was so fun!

_I didn't even catch his name..._

Currently lying on the floor in front of the fire, face heated by the flames and the memory of the beautiful wizard in Ravenclaw robes that stood up for him the day previous.

**Kindaichi Yuutarou, first-year. House: Gryffindor.**

He'd been skulking around the hallways where it had happened today to try and catch a glimpse of him but no-one appeared to thank. Well, not before he had to duck away when the two Slytherin first-years noticed him.

He wasn't keen on having his hair set alight again. Although they laughed behind his back as he ran, he successfully got away with only a minor scrape where he tripped up on his robe.

First week and he already had enemies and yet… not a single friend. Not for lack of trying.

Now, in the evening when most people had crashed down, he kicked his legs in the air, bouncing his heels off his backside while he drew. While he wasn't exactly an artist, Kindaichi prided himself on being an avid doodler, and the expression he drew, flick upwards of his quill so the boy wore that smirk, brought the image to life.

People told him diaries were a girl hobby, but the gift from his mother was appreciated and he had every intention of writing everything down in it so when he got back home he could tell her all about it. Doodles and all.

"Watcha doin'?"

Kindaichi jumped out of his skin, snapping his book shut and turning to see the inquisitive look of one of his upperclassmen. "Ah! Sorry senpai, I'm going to bed, I just- was doing some studying for a test- I-I didn't mean to stay up so late- what time is it anyway?" He babbled, cheeks growing hotter by the second as he scrambled around to get up. He didn't even know the boy was grinning until he looked back up at him at the silence.

"Calm down, I'm not gonna eat ya for staying up." The boy said, stepping backwards to plonk himself in one of the couches, "But a test? This early in the year?"

The stern look in the boy's eye and a questioning eyebrow forced Kindaichi's head to duck. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie…"

"Sure you didn't." He snickered sarcastically, "I just can't comprehend why you would lie over a drawing."

Kindaichi looked back up to meet a much softer look, understanding and sweet, a knowing glint in his eye. "How- How long were you stood watching…?" The first-year asked, gripping his diary tight.

"A few minutes…"

"Ah… I- I like to draw… There's nothing wrong with that… is there?" Kindaichi asked dubiously, twiddling his dried quill. What he'd give to have a pencil… his drawing was probably soaking into the next page as they spoke.

"Who is she?"

Kindaichi hiked his shoulders up and looked down at his lap, diary held to his chest. "N-No-one."

"My bad, I skipped a question. Who are _you_? You're a first-year, right?" The boy asked, stretching out on the couch and humming contentedly.

"My name's Kindaichi Yuutarou. I doubt I need to answer the second question…" It was obvious. There were few enough people to know everyone in the house by name until the first years came in. Even Kindaichi could figure that.

"Iwaizumi Hajime, fifth-year. Nice to meet you, Kindaichi." He said with a smile, leaning forward with an outstretched hand.

 _He looks a lot older than a fifth-year…_ Kindaichi thought as he took his hand. The handshake was firm and felt… really welcoming. Iwaizumi's warm nature backed up his claim of being a fifth-year, like he still knew what it meant to be humble, still had years to come here and appreciated that fact. "You too."

The conversation fell stale when their hands fell and Kindaichi couldn't think of anything to say. On the other hand, his mind ran wild. _What do I say now? Is he waiting for me to go to bed? Does he want something else? Would it be rude to just leave?_

The longer the silence went on, the more twitchy Kindaichi got, and when it got too much, he stood up and bowed. "G-Goodnight Iwaizumi-san."

"Hey Kindaichi," Iwaizumi called as the first-year began sprinting away, grabbing his wrist softly, "Ever need anything, just ask, alright?"

Kindaichi's eyes lit up, curling fingers into his diary as he grinned toothily. "Thanks senpai, I will." He continued off after a nod, blaming his racing heart on the rush up the stairs.

Did he… just make a friend?

Cursing his mind on forgetting his pot of ink, he rushed back down to get it. Iwaizumi held it palm-up in his hand before he even got there. "Don't stay up too much longer. You should get a good sleep."

Second time lucky, when he closed his room door, he leant back against it with a sigh of exasperation at himself.

The room was quiet but for the soft snoring of his roommate in the bed next to his. When he rushed to his own bed, he turned the candle lamp next to it on so he could see while he wrote out his most recent encounter.

_I was surprised just now by a fifth-year. His name is Iwaizumi Hajime and he told me I can ask him if I ever need something. I don't think anyone's said that to me before._

_Considering my bad luck the past week, I thought about asking to be sent home. I miss mum and the dog and I felt so out of place until now._

_I'm going to sleep now, upon my new friend's insistence. I hope things get better tomorrow._

-

**Iwaizumi Hajime, fifth-year. House: Gryffindor.**

Iwaizumi remembered his first year, especially his own first few weeks, spent making friends and messing around, breaking all the rules. The young first-year merrily drawing away was an interesting sight, considering he himself, at this hour, was sneaking out. Had he not had bad influencers, he would know the sweet innocence well by now.

Bless, the poor kid was madly apologetic just lounging around in the common room after hours. It was in no way against the rules, but he hoped Kindaichi got a good sleep regardless. From the looks of his diary, although Iwaizumi wasn't proud of himself for looking, Kindaichi hadn't had the best of starts.

No-one should still be discriminated against for being muggle-born.

He knew what it was like, himself, at least to an extent. Luckily he hadn't had any problems like Kindaichi and the pair of Slytherins. In fact, his three closest friends were all in Slytherin, and on their way to him. It would’ve been nice to get to know the boy - who was scarily tall for his age, could he add, Iwaizumi didn’t miss that _small_ (glaring) detail - since he seemed a little lost in his thoughts and well in need of guidance. In another time he would, but now he was gone, Iwaizumi couldn’t stop his heart going giddy with excitement.

No matter how much he went on about hating the three troublemakers, there was no doubting… Iwaizumi was the fourth.

So when he was sure the first-year was shut safely away in his room, Iwaizumi fled, hurrying down and out of the common room to the grand staircase.

There was just one thing...

-

**Oikawa Tooru, fifth-year. House: Slytherin**

**Hanamaki Takahiro, fifth-year. House: Slytherin**

**Matsukawa Issei, fifth-year. House: Slytherin**

"Shh! Seriously do you guys know the meaning of quiet?!" Oikawa hissed under his breath, head whipping from side to side, convinced they were being watched despite knowing better.

"Oi, what you so scared of? Since when did you care about being caught?"

"For the record," Oikawa began, turning to them abruptly to wave his wand in their faces, "it's you two that don't care."

"You're always so stoked about seeing Iwaizumi."

"That's not… relevant."

Hanamaki and Matsukawa just turned to each other with matching smirks, looking back at Oikawa in time to watch him huff and turn back away with a petulant flick of his hair… which he had actually styled before coming out.

It was hard to hide anything from the two jesters, even moreso when you spent the majority of your time with them. Oikawa had accepted his fate long ago, probably the first day when they single-handedly lost Slytherin five-hundred points. 250 each. Oikawa would deny he ever had a part in that to his dying day.

Because, for the record, he was the innocent one.

For better or worse (worse, probably, knowing them) they all kept their mouths shut until they got halfway up the changing staircase, looking around suspiciously. They never usually got this far before Iwaizumi found them. After all, being the ‘model student’ Iwaizumi was, he refused to show them the Gryffindor common room entrance and insisted they met halfway.

"Guys!" A hushed voice called from a ledge far up. As expected, when they looked it was Iwaizumi, back and palms to the wall and knees bent.

It was no secret Iwaizumi was scared of heights.

It would be tolerable had he not been one of the school's best quidditch players.

"Yo, just jump. I bet you could make it!" Hanamaki called back, only to be on the receiving end of two glares.

OK, but why him? Why did it always have to him?

"Your fault for being late!"

"I'm not even five minutes late! Just… Just get me down!" Iwaizumi shouted, an octave higher and much louder than he anticipated. He squeezed his eyes shut, fingertips digging into the cold stone wall at his back.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa were both sniggering behind Oikawa who was actually trying to think of something to help.

"Ah, if only we thought to bring our brooms."

"I wouldn't trust any of you to carry me. You might as well fuck off."

"Now, now, Iwa-chan~, let's not get angry." Oikawa chimed, humming in thought and touching his chin. "It's gotta move at some point."

"It's there now, in front of you!"

"No it's not, I _know_ it's not!" Iwaizumi shouted shakily. He deeply regretted his decision not to continue talking to that first-year. Why did he choose these three idiots over him?

"No, it is, just walk forward!"

"Stop talking!"

The grating of stone against stone wasn't helping any, especially when the staircase up connected to the ledge. Iwaizumi could've sworn the wall behind him moved with the force.

"Iwa-chan, just stay put."

Iwaizumi opened his eyes as he knew _exactly_ what Oikawa was doing. "You dare!"

"C'mon, do you have no faith in me whatsoever?"

"Oikawa Tooru, if my feet leave this ledge, you're a dead man!"

"Full name…"

"Ouch."

He wasn't afraid of heights when he had an asshole friend to threaten. An asshole that raised his hands, delicately tracing the charm.

"Oi…" Hanamaki started with surprise, "You're not really gonna…?"

"You dare, Kusoikawa!"

"Stop, I'm trying to concentrate!"

"He'll never make it…!"

"FAITH!"

Before Oikawa could even start the charm incantation, Matsukawa grabbed his arm to stop him. As much _faith_ as he had in his friend, there was no way it extended to a levitation spell so high up. "We can just wait. No need to rush it."

" _Matsukawa_ being the voice of reason? What next, Oikawa admitting he's being rash and impulsive?"

"Oi-!"

“I like that plan. I like that plan a lot.”

It was a good few minutes before the staircase between them connected, at which point Iwaizumi was on the floor breathing in and out rhythmically and carefully while he counted aloud quietly. He took no spare time dragging himself to his feet and scurrying down them, only just remembering to jump over the false stair he _always_ seemed to forget and barrelled straight into Oikawa.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa both took steps back as the Gryffindor collided with Oikawa, sending them both to the floor.

Oikawa was going to explode. Not just because the mass of pure _muscle_ just sent him to the floor, but because he was gripping onto him - _hugging_ him for dear life.

“You… _ever_ joke about something like that again…” He didn’t finish the sentence as his lips and the tip of his tongue tingled with pins and needles, thanks to the lack of oxygen. The soft embrace around him let him know Oikawa understood and he let out a long sigh of relief into the robe beneath him.

Hanamaki kept side-eyeing Matsukawa, letting him know exactly when to cut in with a loud clear of his throat. The two ‘love-birds’ had been dancing around each other for the past couple of years, despite their frequent scraps and arguments. Like an old married couple, Hanamaki and Mastukawa liked to say, they always made up in the end. Really, all the pair wanted them to do was kiss each other already.

They’d regret it in a couple of years, the lack of time spent actually requited. Pining was enough for a while. Hanamaki and Matsukawa had got bored pretty quickly, though, when they both caught each other’s gazes across their room in their third year. It wasn’t long before they began _seeing_ each other… not that they could possibly see each other more than they already did, but that wasn’t the point.

Best friends made the best partners.

The clearing of a throat tore Iwaizumi’s peace in warm arms to pieces as he shot upright. Matsukawa was grinning at him, Hanamaki too, arms folded. Iwaizumi didn’t want to know how red his face was. He could _feel_ it. For good measure, he shook his head and roughly stood up, head still a little light. Out of spite, he didn’t help Oikawa up, instead shoving past the other two. “We gonna stay here all night?”

Oikawa was left pouting on the floor, getting to his feet and brushing down his robe, now all tousled. His face was red hot. Correction, his entire body was from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. _Can I count that as a hug? I can count that as a hug, right? Iwa-chan…_ “Iwa-chan, wait up!” Oikawa called, budging past the two grinning house mates.

“Ah, young love.” Matsukawa sighed wistfully, taking Hanamaki’s hand in his own. No matter how much Hanamaki tried to hide it, Matsukawa knew his boyfriend loved their nightly expeditions. It was sort of romantic. He pulled the blushing boy along to catch up with their in-denial counterparts, wondering how much longer they had to wait before they all agreed these walks would be closer to double dates.

At least… How was walking along the outside walls of the castle in the moonlight and sharing snacks between them _not_ date material?

They successfully managed to dodge the outer patrol like most nights. Two of the Hufflepuff prefects were busy admiring the crystal clear sky - in particular the milky way in full view. For a moment, Hanamaki also got distracted, but he knew he could see all he wanted of it after they successfully sneaked out.

The Black Lake was pristine, not a single ripple could be seen from so far up, allowing for a perfect mirror image of the stars painting a strip the sky silver. Matsukawa hopped onto one of the walls, followed by Hanamaki who leaned into him. “I don’t think it’s ever looked so bright.”

“Good times are coming our way this year.” Iwaizumi said softly with a smile, standing next to Matsukaa to lean against the wall, palms pressing into smooth stone.

“Don’t jinx it!” Oikawa exclaimed, exasperated that Iwaizumi could possibly think saying such a thing would actually help their case at all.

“Why are you such a pessimist, Oikawa?” Hanamaki asked nonchalantly.

Oikawa puffed out his chest and hopped onto the wall too, legs dangling over the other side. “Maybe I have two idiots for friends.”

“Only two? Oikawa, I’m _flattered_.” Matsukawa said.

“You’re one of them!”

Iwaizumi chuckled, ducking his head bashfully as he said, “How could times with you guys not be good?”

The other three were stunned by his raw words, each taking their own time to melt at his pure-heartedness. “Here’s to the coming year.”

“Yeah.”

The four of them chatted, god knows they had done plenty in the last few days, catching up from over the holidays and making up for lost time. Oikawa had gone abroad in the first week, got sunburnt to all hell and spent the rest of the holiday recovering from it, painfully. Iwaizumi partook in a mini triathlon and came sixth without the use of magic. Oikawa threw doubt around but inside he was preening. No wonder he had begun to fill out.

The other two hadn’t done much but laze. Oikawa and Iwaizumi couldn’t imagine the two without each other, bored out of their minds. Iwaizumi would introduce them to video calling, but with their complete inability to understand muggle technology, Iwaizumi wouldn’t put it past them if they ended up breaking everything in the process so he left them be. Besides, they seemed more than chatty despite that, plenty of little stories to laugh at and jokes to tell.

Then the conversation fell on Iwaizumi’s earlier predicament.

“If you were so excited for our first expedition of the year, then what took you so long?” Matsukawa teased. “Serves you right you got stuck!”

Iwaizumi bristled at the memory, but he knew they would never mean any harm by bringing up his fear of heights. In a way, he was glad he was a little late. “I had to usher a first-year into bed.”

“Ugh, you too?”

Iwaizumi raised a questioning brow.

“Let me elaborate on that apt statement,” Matsukawa began, “We have our fair share of miscreants…”

“Not as bad as Makki and Mattsun in _their_ first year, though…” Oikawa pointed out, but with a grimace on his face easily readable in the moonlight.

Iwaizumi frowned. He didn’t make it out to be the boy’s fault, but he was more interested in what the Slytherin house had gained this year in terms of new meat. “How bad we talkin’?”

“Lost us points for attacking some other first-year.” Oikawa replied grimly.

“How about your little rascal?” Hanamaki asked, head poking from around Matsukawa’s side.

Iwaizumi shrugged. “Was writing in his diary in the common room after hours.”

“Wow… that’s the worst you’ve got? Figures…” Matsukawa chuckled. “Bet even some ‘those Ravenclaw shut-ins have some troublemakers.”

"It's always the quiet ones…"

The four best friends could all agree on that one. Namely Kuuro Tetsurou in the year above. If any Ravenclaw was a demon in disguise, it would be him. Pretended all sweet and innocent until he got to his third year after getting caught out for cheating on everything he ever did. Now, quiet was the last thing you could call him.

It was a good hour they spent reminiscing before they began to shift. The longer time went on, they all got uneasy. It wasn't particularly dangerous outside. They were still in the grounds, after all. It was more the fear of being caught that bred unease.

As always, Iwaizumi voiced his concern to leave. Perhaps for the other three, pride got in the way of announcing they weren't looking to get caught. As much as they joked, neither of them wanted to feel Professor Mizoguchi's wrath again.

It wasn't until they got inside that they met trouble. They didn't meet any patrols, but on their way down the corridor they _did_ meet a wisp of smoke, a ghostly glowing blue that rounded the corner.

Their shortcut was cut off that way, when the wisp materialised into a fox. As far as the four were aware, most seventh-years couldn't even summon a full patronus, so they wordlessly split.

Oikawa wasn't happy to leave Iwaizumi sprinting off on his own, but really they had no choice. Iwaizumi did shoot a smile back as he ran, though.

This marked the end of their first of many nighttime expeditions the coming year. Summer was boring when they couldn't be together. They all much preferred the antics at school. How could they be so worried about being caught in the first place? As long as they were caught together, it could only be a laugh.

-

Hearing the patter of footsteps diminish, he could only let out a long sigh of relief. The four students couldn't have been seventh-years, and for that he was grateful. His Patronus pattered back to him, waiting for the stroke on his nose.

**Kunimi Akira, first-year. House: Ravenclaw.**

If Kunimi couldn't do one thing, it was sleep at night. He loathed being couped up in the same room with multiple people. One of them was a snorer, too… When he moved to the common room, another seemed to be immersed in a muggle contraption he himself couldn't comprehend. The artificial light didn't agree with his sensitive eyes. He only had solace in the fact that it wasn't infinite. Like a candle, it would run out of metaphorical wax. Or apparently as muggles called it, 'juice'.

He wondered if that was slang or if it did run on some kind of juice. He'd have to ask Kenma… if he ever saw the hermit again.

Kunimi hadn't mingled well at all with his fellow first-years. From what he could tell, they had already bonded on the train ride over and he didn't have the effort to talk to them all lively over the dinner table.

It was a feast to be remembered, that was for sure, but he wasn't too interested in food himself. At least, not as much as a boy from Gryffindor was, tucking into the corn as soon as he set eyes on it. He didn't seem too into conversation either, adding a comment in here or there that seemed to go ignored on his own table.

He was content away from his own house like this.

The night was warm, but somehow Kunimi was still cold, watching his patronus bound around, lighting up the dark corners. It was much more playful than himself, chasing around bugs, large ears swivelling at the tiniest sounds. Kunimi continued on his way to the courtyard to sit up on a ledge, back to an arch and shutting his eyes.

The same Gryffindor from the feast hadn't looked nearly as joyous the second time he saw him, one second in flames and the next so doused in water Kunimi couldn't see the tears. Only because of the boy's weak 'why?' had Kunimi known he was deeply upset.

Kunimi also wanted to know why. Most of all, why in the hell he decided to get involved. He hadn't missed the sneers he got when he interjected and called a teacher's attention. A very wet and shaking Gryffindor bowed his thanks and ran off flustering.

Maybe he at least should've dried him off. He knew a spell or two. No point in going back now, though. It was a shame that the boy ran off. The teacher would've reprimanded them and Kunimi didn't even get his name.

Ah well, Kunimi was sure they'd meet again. If anything, now both of them were on the bad side of those two Slytherin boys. He opened his eyes and sighed. _And here I wanted to get through Hogwarts without making enemies…_ Kunimi thought, humming softly as he turned his attention to watch his patronus bat at a dragonfly hovering above it.

It was a surprise when he first learned the patronus charm was a highly advanced spell, considering he had been able to summon one so easily upon concentrating for the first time. While he was congratulated by his parents, Kunimi was completely enamoured. It was fully corporeal, a small fox with large ears and a narrow snout. It dissipated when he stopped concentrating but Kunimi could always just summon it again whenever he wished.

Kunimi figured the books were wrong when they told him it relied heavily on emotions to summon. Perhaps he was an exception that proved the rule. Although, he did always desire a companion. Perhaps that was his happy thought. He had spent a long time thinking about it, day in and day out. There was nothing particularly special with Kunimi Akira.

He was exceptionally booksmart and that was about it.

The fox lost interest when it's paws simply ghosted through the winged bugs and instead swirled around his wizard. Kunimi sighed as it dispersed into silver smoke and he hopped off his perch.

That was reason enough to at least _try_ and get some sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> For the curious: Kunimi's patronus is specifically a fennec fox, a small canine that lives in the desert, spends most of the day underground in burrows and hunts insects and small rodents etc. at night.
> 
> Fifty points to the person who can guess what Kindaichi's current patronus is.
> 
> Next chapter: The fire incident as experienced by an onlooker, bickering between house mates and... flying! (Maybe. I tend to get distracted. Most likely it will be pot luck.)


End file.
